2018 Featured Speakers

Richard Corey

Richard Corey has over 30 years of professional experience in the air pollution field. Prior to his appointment as Executive Officer, he served as Deputy Executive Officer and Chief of the Stationary Source Division.

Corey’s team of over 1,400 professional managers and staff are responsible for a broad range of programs including those concerning fuels, climate, incentives, and air toxics. Some of the key programs that his team is responsible for implementing include the low-carbon fuel standard, cap-and-trade regulation, measures and incentives to reduce emissions from a variety of goods movement sources, including port trucking, transport refrigeration units, cargo handling operations, maritime operations, rail-related goods movement, and measures to reduce emissions from stationary and portable diesel engines, as well as several strategies to reduce toxic air contaminants from a wide variety of sources. In addition, Corey oversees the Board’s administrative services and information technology operations.

Corey has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Toxicology as well as an MBA from the University of California, Davis.

Autumn Burke

Assemblywoman Autumn Burke has made expanding health care access and economic opportunity to her constituents the centerpiece of her legislative career. During her first term in the Assembly, she became widely recognized as a champion for reproductive rights, environmental justice, and health care. She authored bills establishing Transformative Climate Communities to help disadvantaged neighborhoods heavily impacted by pollution, expand access to quality maternal health care, and create greater accountability and transparency across all levels of government.

In conjunction with her strong focus on children’s needs and health care access, Asm. Burke continues her leadership role on protection of our state’s environment while ensuring a just transition for affected workers and continued economic growth for California. She led the bipartisan working group of legislators which drafted AB 398, the landmark climate change legislation which strengthens California’s ‘Cap and Trade’ program to continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions that significantly contribute to global warming and climate change. Furthermore, Asm. Burke authored legislation, signed into law, to significantly expand electric vehicle charging station network by supporting the installation of new car charging locations at public schools, state parks and beaches.

Cecilia Aguiar-Curry

In November 2016, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry was elected to the California Assembly to represent the 4th District that includes all or parts of Napa, Lake, Yolo, Sonoma, Colusa and Solano counties.

After going to school and working in the Bay Area for several years, she moved back to her hometown of Winters where she first served as planning commissioner and then was elected to the city council, eventually serving as the first female mayor of Winters. As mayor of Winters, Cecilia oversaw improvements in the downtown area and worked to improve local schools, including securing computers for every sixth grader in the city. She also brought broadband internet to rural communities, built senior housing and helped the area to become an agricultural and food innovation hub for the region. With the understanding that employment is central to any successful community, Cecilia helped bring a PG&E training facility to Winters that provided hundreds of jobs for local residents.

After earning a degree in business administration from San Jose State University, the Assemblymember launched a consulting firm that specialized in public outreach with government agencies.

George Minter

George Minter is regional vice president of external affairs and environmental strategy for SoCalGas. He leads the company’s public affairs, environmental and energy policy, community relations, and media and employee communications efforts.

Mr. Minter is a long-time public policy professional specializing in energy and environmental affairs, policy development, communications and political advocacy. Before re-joining SoCalGas in 2013, Mr. Minter was managing principal for L.A.-based public affairs firms Greer/Dailey/Minter and GM/Public Affairs. There he managed strategic communications programs and public policy initiatives to approve large land use and energy projects. Prior to that, he was the director of public affairs for SoCalGas.

Mr. Minter has served as a board member of numerous civic associations and community organizations, including the Central City Assoc., Valley Industry and Commerce Assoc., L.A. Family Housing Corp. (as board chair), Coro Foundation, Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal-State L.A., Center for the Study of L.A. at Loyola Marymount University, Campaign to Clear the Air and the California League of Conservation Voters. He was one of the founders of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a federal energy trade association and of the California CCS Coalition, a statewide energy advocacy organization.

Kip Lipper

Kip Lipper is chief policy advisor on energy, natural resources, and the environment to California State Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles). Mr, Lipper has worked in the California Legislature for over 38 years under various senate and assembly members and as consultant for various committees.

Mr. Lipper was the lead Senate staffer on the drafting of AB 32, as well as on companion landmark legislation establishing the nation’s first greenhouse gas emission performance standard for energy generation (SB 1368–Perata). He has been deeply involved in the implementation of GHG laws passed and enacted by the CA Legislature. His extensive experience in these matters has lead him to participate as a guest lecturer on environmental and energy legislation at the Stanford University Law School, Boalt Hall (UC Berkeley) Law School, King Hall (UC Davis) Law School, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), UCSD, and at CA State University Sacramento.

N. Ross Buckenham

Ross Buckenham is a 25-year general management veteran and builder of technology ventures both public and private. His experience spans the renewable energy technologies of biogas, wind and solar. He has also built and run software and wireless technology companies being a board member, chief executive officer or general manager in companies such as WebLink Wireless, Retek, CellStar and Advanced Oxygen. He was previously a consultant with Bain & Company.

Mr. Buckenham is passionate both in his pursuit of California Bioenergy’s mission to become a large California focused renewable energy and clean tech company leveraging agricultural waste streams and also in developing “Level 5” leadership, operational excellence and exceptional customer service in himself and his management team. He has been an active member in the Bioenergy Association of California since its founding.

Mr. Buckenham has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in chemical engineering from Canterbury University, New Zealand.

Christine Cowsert Chapman

Christine Cowsert Chapman is the Senior Director of Asset Management and System Operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Christine has been with PG&E for sixteen years serving in various natural gas engineering and human resources functions. In her current role, Christine provides strategic and operational leadership to the team that manages risk to PG&E’s gas assets, system, and business in real time and long term through asset management, integrity management, gas control, gas system planning, compliance, and innovation. This includes the 24-7 operations of PG&E’s Gas Operations Center, as well as managing the PG&E’s California Gas Transmission business.

Christine has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of California.

Cliff Gladstein

Mr. Cliff Gladstein is the founder and president of Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA). For over twenty-two years, he has been local, state, and national leader in the effort to develop cost-effective policies, programs, and products to reduce pollution from transportation, relieve the nation’s dependence on petroleum, and create innovative public-private partnerships to pursue market-based solutions for environmental problems.

Mr. Gladstein is the founder of the Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor (ICTC), the nation’s first and most successful public-private partnership to accelerate the commercialization of clean alternative fuel vehicles in the interstate movement of goods. He has used his knowledge and experience to develop and implement clean transportation and power generation technology deployment programs and incentive programs.

Mr. Gladstein is on the board of the Bioenergy Association of California, Chairs the Education Fund of the California League of Conservation Voters, and teaches air quality policy at the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability. He has been an advisor to the University of Southern California’s Sustainable Cities Program and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He is a graduate of Duke University and holds three graduate degrees from the University of Texas, Austin, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Kevin Hamilton

Kevin is focused on reducing the burden of chronic respiratory disease and environmental health impacts valley-wide. He has served as developer, coordinator, administrator and director for multiple programs in both hospital and community based settings serving poor and under served communities in the San Joaquin Valley.

Kevin serves on numerous boards and committees associated with grassroots community capacity building and local, state and regional policy development. His education includes an AS in Respiratory Care, BS in Geology, extended course work in social work, mathematics, business and management training. He has worked extensively on different aspects of health care access and redesign around primary care, disease management, childhood and adult immunizations and behavioral health for over 35-years and is a well- known advocate for social and environmental justice.

Sahar Kamali

Sahar Kamali is the Director of Business Development for Clean Energy Renewables. Ms. Kamali focuses on procurement of renewable natural gas as a sustainable fueling solution for transit, municipal and fleet customers, as well as the generation and sale of LCFS credits and RINs that are created as a result of renewable natural gas fuel sales. Ms. Kamali works with RNG producers in the evaluation, development and procurement of renewable natural gas production projects that expand Clean Energy’s branded RNG vehicle fuel, Redeem.

Ms. Kamali assists fleet operators in developing the tools and resources to effectively evaluate the GHG emissions impact of their operations as well as the economic impact of adopting renewable natural gas in their fleets. In 2016, Clean Energy sold 60 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) of Redeem.

Ryan McCarthy

Ryan is the Science and Technology Policy Advisor to the Chair at the California Air Resources Board (CARB). He is a leader in shaping California’s efforts to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote zero emission vehicles, and reduce emissions of methane and other short-lived climate pollutants.

Prior to his appointment at CARB by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011, McCarthy was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the office of California Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter. Ryan received his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil and environmental engineering from UC Davis and bachelor’s degree in structural engineering from UC San Diego.

Mittal Monani

Mittal Monani is Senior Trader for North American Emissions with Direct Energy based in Calgary AB. Owned by Centrica Plc (LON:CNA), a UK-based FTSE 100 global energy corporation, Direct Energy is a leading North American energy retailer supplying electricity and natural gas to over 5 million residential, and 250,000 business customers including over 70% of the Fortune 100.

Mittal is responsible for trading and origination in RNG, RIN, LCFS, Carbon Cap-and-Trade and REC markets in the US and Canada. Previously, Mittal ran the US Carbon portfolio for Capital Power (TSE:CPX) where he grew the business to become a leader in the California and North-Eastern US (RGGI) carbon markets. Mittal started his career in the energy industry at BP Canada and acquired extensive trading and analytical background working in coal, natural gas, and carbon markets at leading energy merchants over the years.

Well-regarded for his expertise in environmental commodities, Mittal is frequently invited as a guest speaker at leading industry events and conferences.

Jonathan Parfrey

Before founding Climate Resolve, Jonathan Parfrey served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (2008-2013). Mr. Parfrey is also the immediate past-president of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. He is a founder and vice chair of CicLAvia, the popular street event, as well as the founder of the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability, and the statewide Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation. He served as director of the GREEN LA Coalition (2007-2011), and as the Los Angeles director of Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Physicians for Social Responsibility (1994 to 2007).

Prior to that, Mr. Parfrey founded and directed the Orange County Catholic Worker (1987-1993). He was appointed to Governor Schwarzenegger’s Environmental Policy Team in 2003. Mr. Parfrey received the Paul S. Delp Award for Outstanding Service, Peace and Social Justice (1992), and was awarded a Durfee Foundation Fellowship (2002), a Stanton Fellowship (2010), and was appointed a senior fellow at the USC Marshall School of Business (2011). He is currently a fellow at the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities; a member of the State of California Climate Adaptation Technical Advisory Committee (2016); a member of the steering committee for the US Climate and Health Alliance (2016). In April 2016, he was received the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair’s Green Leadership Award.

Jena Price

Jena Price is a principle at TrattenPrice Consulting, a firm focused on representing environmental, consumer protection and social justice focused clientele. Prior to opening up a firm with her partner, Price served as the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) legislative affairs manager where she advocated for a broad suite of environmental and environmental justice issues.

Prior to coming on board at CLCV, she was the Legislative Director at California’s longest running environmental non-profit, the Planning and Conservation League. During her time there, she worked closely with the Executive Director and members of the legislature to protect one of California’s keystone environmental laws, CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) as well as working on legislation pertaining to water, land use, and environmental health.

Before moving back to Sacramento, Price worked with Local Governments for Sustainability, helping local governments to reach the 2020 reduction targets mandated under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). Price attended San Francisco State University, receiving a degree in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in California Environmental Policy.

Dwight Robinson

Dwight Robinson is a native Californian and the oldest of seven children. He and his wife, Holly, were married in 1999 and immediately decided to make Lake Forest their home. They believed Lake Forest would be a perfect place to live and raise a family. Dwight and Holly are the proud parents of three children (Corinne, Luke, and baby Micah who was born Thanksgiving Day 2011).

Dwight has been very active in the Lake Forest community over the last decade. He is a Charter Member of the Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce, a Sunday School teacher and a Little League coach. Previously, Dwight was a board member at Grace Christian Schools, an elder in his church, and board member of the Kiwanis Club of Lake Forest. Dwight owns and operates a few businesses in California and also serves as the Managing Partner of a small business located in Lake Forest.

Greg Stangl

Greg Stangl has been working in the energy field since early 1999 when he led the buyout and subsequent turnaround of Energy Investors, the eventual parent of Phoenix Energy. Energy Investors was dedicated to improving air quality in Europe by replacing brown coal boiler plants. Developments in Europe led the business into to the biomass gasification arena and in 2007, Phoenix Energy was spun out to focus exclusively on that market in the US. Prior to that, Mr. Stangl worked for several years as a venture capitalist based in Paris and Warsaw for Livingstone Capital Management and Copernicus Capital Management respectively. During his venture capital career Mr. Stangl served on the boards of several European companies.

Mr. Stangl holds an M.B.A, with honors, and a Masters’ of International Affairs, with honors, both from Columbia University. Mr. Stangl is a native of the USA and speaks German and Polish fluently.

Floyd Vergara

Floyd Vergara is Chief of the Industrial Strategies Division at the California Air Resources Board (ARB). He oversees several of ARB’s key climate change and air quality regulatory programs, including Cap-and-Trade, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, conventional fuels regulations, energy sector programs, and oil and gas production measures.

Floyd has been at ARB for over 27 years developing regulations on transportation fuels, advanced clean cars, oceangoing vessels, and other mobile or stationary sources. He received his B.S. in chemical
engineering from U.C. Berkeley, his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and is licensed to practice in California as a professional engineer and lawyer.

Ben Vitale

Ben Vitale is a principal at Equilibrium, focusing on Equilibrium’s water management and energy strategies. He is also a principal on Equilibrium’s Wastewater Opportunity Fund and a member of the Wastewater Opportunity Fund’s Investment Committee. Vitale has 27 years of technical and investment management experience in the wastewater, renewable energy, agriculture, forestry, technology and transportation sectors. He led portfolio development and investment decisions that established carbon assets valued over $40 million in 14 countries. These assets generated over 10 million tons of emission reductions and conserved over 2.5 million acres. Recently, he provided asset management services and financing to 15 facilities in the wastewater sector located in several regions of the United States. He is an active member of both the Bioenergy Association of California and American Biogas Council.

Vitale has worked extensively with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state government agencies, and the private sector to promote renewable energy, agriculture and sustainability policies that have driven greater investments into these sectors. Before joining Equilibrium, he served as president of The Climate Trust, Managing Director of the Conservation and Community Carbon Fund, co-founder of VCapital, and principal in Motorola Ventures. He has contributed to the books A Climate for Life, Climate Change & Forests, Voluntary Carbon Markets and Defying Ocean’s End.

Matt Vespa

Based out of San Francisco, Matt Vespa focuses on accelerating deployment of clean energy in California and avoiding new investments in fossil fuel infrastructure. Matt’s areas of expertise include utility procurement, local reliability need, rooftop solar tariffs, rate design, energy storage, renewable integration, and decarbonization trajectories. Matt is a member of the Procurement Review Group (“PRG”) of Southern California Edison.

Prior to joining Earthjustice, Matt spent over five years at the Sierra Club focusing on clean energy-related advocacy before the California Public Utilities Commission. Prior to the Sierra Club, Matt was a Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity where he developed the law and policy related to the analysis of greenhouse gas impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). Matt also served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York for the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis.

Matt was the recipient of the 2016 Environmental Leadership Award from the Ecology Law Quarterly at U.C. Berkeley School of Law.

Grant Zimmerman

Grant Zimmerman has been chief executive officer of ampCNG since February 2016. He joined ampCNG as senior vice president of business development in February 2015. At ampCNG, he is responsible for developing and executing ampCNG’s overall business strategy and operations, business development, and corporate development activities. Mr. Zimmerman sits on ampCNG’s board of directors. Prior to joining ampCNG, he was an associate principal in McKinsey and Company’s Chicago office, where he served clients in the energy industry in strategy, operations, and corporate finance. Before McKinsey, he served in commercial and finance roles with Enron and the Enron bankruptcy estate. Mr. Zimmerman earned his MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, graduating with high honors. He also holds an MPA and BBA, Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.

William Zobel

William (Bill) Zobel is Vice President of Business Development, Marketing & Customer Care for Trillium CNG. Trillium designs, builds and operates a network of compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling stations across the US. Mr. Zobel has almost 30 years of experience in the energy sector covering a wide range of issues and responsibilities. Prior to Trillium, Mr. Zobel managed the Sempra natural gas and electric vehicle clean transportation program, and managed environmental and climate change policy for Sempra Energy.

Mr. Zobel served as director of strategy and business analysis for BP North America where he helped develop BP’s national presence following the merger of BP and ARCO. In 15 years with ARCO, Mr. Zobel successfully served in a variety of management positions where he was instrumental in developing and promoting landmark regulatory programs including RECLAIM, the nation’s first multipollutant emissions trading program. Mr. Zobel serves on the board of Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVA), and the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (CNGVC), which he chaired from 2007 to 2009.

Mr. Zobel holds a BS in chemical engineering from California State University, Long Beach, and is a graduate of Columbia University’s executive business program.

Rethink Methane Symposium 2018 Speakers:

Richard Corey has over 30 years of professional experience in the air pollution field. Prior to his appointment as Executive Officer, he served as Deputy Executive Officer and Chief of the Stationary Source Division.

Corey’s team of over 1,400 professional managers and staff are responsible for a broad range of programs including those concerning fuels, climate, incentives, and air toxics. Some of the key programs that his team is responsible for implementing include the low-carbon fuel standard, cap-and-trade regulation, measures and incentives to reduce emissions from a variety of goods movement sources, including port trucking, transport refrigeration units, cargo handling operations, maritime operations, rail-related goods movement, and measures to reduce emissions from stationary and portable diesel engines, as well as several strategies to reduce toxic air contaminants from a wide variety of sources. In addition, Corey oversees the Board’s administrative services and information technology operations.

Corey has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Toxicology as well as an MBA from the University of California, Davis.

Autumn Burke, California State Assemblywoman, 63rd District

Assemblywoman Autumn Burke has made expanding health care access and economic opportunity to her constituents the centerpiece of her legislative career. During her first term in the Assembly, she became widely recognized as a champion for reproductive rights, environmental justice, and health care. She authored bills establishing Transformative Climate Communities to help disadvantaged neighborhoods heavily impacted by pollution, expand access to quality maternal health care, and create greater accountability and transparency across all levels of government.

In conjunction with her strong focus on children’s needs and health care access, Asm. Burke continues her leadership role on protection of our state’s environment while ensuring a just transition for affected workers and continued economic growth for California. She led the bipartisan working group of legislators which drafted AB 398, the landmark climate change legislation which strengthens California’s ‘Cap and Trade’ program to continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions that significantly contribute to global warming and climate change. Furthermore, Asm. Burke authored legislation, signed into law, to significantly expand electric vehicle charging station network by supporting the installation of new car charging locations at public schools, state parks and beaches.

Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, California State Assemblywoman, 4th District

In November 2016, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry was elected to the California Assembly to represent the 4th District that includes all or parts of Napa, Lake, Yolo, Sonoma, Colusa and Solano counties.

After going to school and working in the Bay Area for several years, she moved back to her hometown of Winters where she first served as planning commissioner and then was elected to the city council, eventually serving as the first female mayor of Winters. As mayor of Winters, Cecilia oversaw improvements in the downtown area and worked to improve local schools, including securing computers for every sixth grader in the city. She also brought broadband internet to rural communities, built senior housing and helped the area to become an agricultural and food innovation hub for the region. With the understanding that employment is central to any successful community, Cecilia helped bring a PG&E training facility to Winters that provided hundreds of jobs for local residents.

After earning a degree in business administration from San Jose State University, the Assemblymember launched a consulting firm that specialized in public outreach with government agencies.

George Minter is regional vice president of external affairs and environmental strategy for SoCalGas. He leads the company’s public affairs, environmental and energy policy, community relations, and media and employee communications efforts.

Mr. Minter is a long-time public policy professional specializing in energy and environmental affairs, policy development, communications and political advocacy. Before re-joining SoCalGas in 2013, Mr. Minter was managing principal for L.A.-based public affairs firms Greer/Dailey/Minter and GM/Public Affairs. There he managed strategic communications programs and public policy initiatives to approve large land use and energy projects. Prior to that, he was the director of public affairs for SoCalGas.

Mr. Minter has served as a board member of numerous civic associations and community organizations, including the Central City Assoc., Valley Industry and Commerce Assoc., L.A. Family Housing Corp. (as board chair), Coro Foundation, Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal-State L.A., Center for the Study of L.A. at Loyola Marymount University, Campaign to Clear the Air and the California League of Conservation Voters. He was one of the founders of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a federal energy trade association and of the California CCS Coalition, a statewide energy advocacy organization.

Kip Lipper is chief policy advisor on energy, natural resources, and the environment to California State Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles). Mr, Lipper has worked in the California Legislature for over 38 years under various senate and assembly members and as consultant for various committees.

Mr. Lipper was the lead Senate staffer on the drafting of AB 32, as well as on companion landmark legislation establishing the nation’s first greenhouse gas emission performance standard for energy generation (SB 1368–Perata). He has been deeply involved in the implementation of GHG laws passed and enacted by the CA Legislature. His extensive experience in these matters has lead him to participate as a guest lecturer on environmental and energy legislation at the Stanford University Law School, Boalt Hall (UC Berkeley) Law School, King Hall (UC Davis) Law School, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), UCSD, and at CA State University Sacramento.

Michael Boccadoro, President, West Coast Advisors

Michael Boccadoro is president of West Coast Advisors, a Sacramento-based government affairs consulting firm whose clients include California’s dairy industry.

Ross Buckenham is a 25-year general management veteran and builder of technology ventures both public and private. His experience spans the renewable energy technologies of biogas, wind and solar. He has also built and run software and wireless technology companies being a board member, chief executive officer or general manager in companies such as WebLink Wireless, Retek, CellStar and Advanced Oxygen. He was previously a consultant with Bain & Company.

Mr. Buckenham is passionate both in his pursuit of California Bioenergy’s mission to become a large California focused renewable energy and clean tech company leveraging agricultural waste streams and also in developing “Level 5” leadership, operational excellence and exceptional customer service in himself and his management team. He has been an active member in the Bioenergy Association of California since its founding.

Mr. Buckenham has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in chemical engineering from Canterbury University, New Zealand.

Christine Cowsert Chapman is the Senior Director of Asset Management and System Operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Christine has been with PG&E for sixteen years serving in various natural gas engineering and human resources functions. In her current role, Christine provides strategic and operational leadership to the team that manages risk to PG&E’s gas assets, system, and business in real time and long term through asset management, integrity management, gas control, gas system planning, compliance, and innovation. This includes the 24-7 operations of PG&E’s Gas Operations Center, as well as managing the PG&E’s California Gas Transmission business.

Christine has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of California.

Cliff Gladstein, President, Gladstein Neandross & Associates

Mr. Cliff Gladstein is the founder and president of Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA). For over twenty-two years, he has been local, state, and national leader in the effort to develop cost-effective policies, programs, and products to reduce pollution from transportation, relieve the nation’s dependence on petroleum, and create innovative public-private partnerships to pursue market-based solutions for environmental problems.

Mr. Gladstein is the founder of the Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor (ICTC), the nation’s first and most successful public-private partnership to accelerate the commercialization of clean alternative fuel vehicles in the interstate movement of goods. He has used his knowledge and experience to develop and implement clean transportation and power generation technology deployment programs and incentive programs.

Mr. Gladstein is on the board of the Bioenergy Association of California, Chairs the Education Fund of the California League of Conservation Voters, and teaches air quality policy at the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability. He has been an advisor to the University of Southern California’s Sustainable Cities Program and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He is a graduate of Duke University and holds three graduate degrees from the University of Texas, Austin, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Kevin is focused on reducing the burden of chronic respiratory disease and environmental health impacts valley-wide. He has served as developer, coordinator, administrator and director for multiple programs in both hospital and community based settings serving poor and under served communities in the San Joaquin Valley.

Kevin serves on numerous boards and committees associated with grassroots community capacity building and local, state and regional policy development. His education includes an AS in Respiratory Care, BS in Geology, extended course work in social work, mathematics, business and management training. He has worked extensively on different aspects of health care access and redesign around primary care, disease management, childhood and adult immunizations and behavioral health for over 35-years and is a well- known advocate for social and environmental justice.

Sahar Kamali is the Director of Business Development for Clean Energy Renewables. Ms. Kamali focuses on procurement of renewable natural gas as a sustainable fueling solution for transit, municipal and fleet customers, as well as the generation and sale of LCFS credits and RINs that are created as a result of renewable natural gas fuel sales. Ms. Kamali works with RNG producers in the evaluation, development and procurement of renewable natural gas production projects that expand Clean Energy’s branded RNG vehicle fuel, Redeem.

Ms. Kamali assists fleet operators in developing the tools and resources to effectively evaluate the GHG emissions impact of their operations as well as the economic impact of adopting renewable natural gas in their fleets. In 2016, Clean Energy sold 60 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) of Redeem.

Ryan is the Science and Technology Policy Advisor to the Chair at the California Air Resources Board (CARB). He is a leader in shaping California’s efforts to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote zero emission vehicles, and reduce emissions of methane and other short-lived climate pollutants.

Prior to his appointment at CARB by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011, McCarthy was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the office of California Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter. Ryan received his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil and environmental engineering from UC Davis and bachelor’s degree in structural engineering from UC San Diego.

Mittal Monani, Senior Trader for North American Emissions, Direct Energy

Mittal Monani is Senior Trader for North American Emissions with Direct Energy based in Calgary AB. Owned by Centrica Plc (LON:CNA), a UK-based FTSE 100 global energy corporation, Direct Energy is a leading North American energy retailer supplying electricity and natural gas to over 5 million residential, and 250,000 business customers including over 70% of the Fortune 100.

Mittal is responsible for trading and origination in RNG, RIN, LCFS, Carbon Cap-and-Trade and REC markets in the US and Canada. Previously, Mittal ran the US Carbon portfolio for Capital Power (TSE:CPX) where he grew the business to become a leader in the California and North-Eastern US (RGGI) carbon markets. Mittal started his career in the energy industry at BP Canada and acquired extensive trading and analytical background working in coal, natural gas, and carbon markets at leading energy merchants over the years.

Well-regarded for his expertise in environmental commodities, Mittal is frequently invited as a guest speaker at leading industry events and conferences.

Jonathan Parfrey, Executive Director, Climate Resolve

Before founding Climate Resolve, Jonathan Parfrey served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (2008-2013). Mr. Parfrey is also the immediate past-president of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. He is a founder and vice chair of CicLAvia, the popular street event, as well as the founder of the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability, and the statewide Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation. He served as director of the GREEN LA Coalition (2007-2011), and as the Los Angeles director of Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Physicians for Social Responsibility (1994 to 2007).

Prior to that, Mr. Parfrey founded and directed the Orange County Catholic Worker (1987-1993). He was appointed to Governor Schwarzenegger’s Environmental Policy Team in 2003. Mr. Parfrey received the Paul S. Delp Award for Outstanding Service, Peace and Social Justice (1992), and was awarded a Durfee Foundation Fellowship (2002), a Stanton Fellowship (2010), and was appointed a senior fellow at the USC Marshall School of Business (2011). He is currently a fellow at the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities; a member of the State of California Climate Adaptation Technical Advisory Committee (2016); a member of the steering committee for the US Climate and Health Alliance (2016). In April 2016, he was received the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair’s Green Leadership Award.

Jena Price is a principle at TrattenPrice Consulting, a firm focused on representing environmental, consumer protection and social justice focused clientele. Prior to opening up a firm with her partner, Price served as the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) legislative affairs manager where she advocated for a broad suite of environmental and environmental justice issues.

Prior to coming on board at CLCV, she was the Legislative Director at California’s longest running environmental non-profit, the Planning and Conservation League. During her time there, she worked closely with the Executive Director and members of the legislature to protect one of California’s keystone environmental laws, CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) as well as working on legislation pertaining to water, land use, and environmental health.

Before moving back to Sacramento, Price worked with Local Governments for Sustainability, helping local governments to reach the 2020 reduction targets mandated under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). Price attended San Francisco State University, receiving a degree in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in California Environmental Policy.

Dwight Robinson, Board Member, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Dwight Robinson is a native Californian and the oldest of seven children. He and his wife, Holly, were married in 1999 and immediately decided to make Lake Forest their home. They believed Lake Forest would be a perfect place to live and raise a family. Dwight and Holly are the proud parents of three children (Corinne, Luke, and baby Micah who was born Thanksgiving Day 2011).

Dwight has been very active in the Lake Forest community over the last decade. He is a Charter Member of the Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce, a Sunday School teacher and a Little League coach. Previously, Dwight was a board member at Grace Christian Schools, an elder in his church, and board member of the Kiwanis Club of Lake Forest. Dwight owns and operates a few businesses in California and also serves as the Managing Partner of a small business located in Lake Forest.

Greg Stangl, Chief Executive Officer, Phoenix Energy

Greg Stangl has been working in the energy field since early 1999 when he led the buyout and subsequent turnaround of Energy Investors, the eventual parent of Phoenix Energy. Energy Investors was dedicated to improving air quality in Europe by replacing brown coal boiler plants. Developments in Europe led the business into to the biomass gasification arena and in 2007, Phoenix Energy was spun out to focus exclusively on that market in the US. Prior to that, Mr. Stangl worked for several years as a venture capitalist based in Paris and Warsaw for Livingstone Capital Management and Copernicus Capital Management respectively. During his venture capital career Mr. Stangl served on the boards of several European companies.

Mr. Stangl holds an M.B.A, with honors, and a Masters’ of International Affairs, with honors, both from Columbia University. Mr. Stangl is a native of the USA and speaks German and Polish fluently.

Floyd Vergara is Chief of the Industrial Strategies Division at the California Air Resources Board (ARB). He oversees several of ARB’s key climate change and air quality regulatory programs, including Cap-and-Trade, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, conventional fuels regulations, energy sector programs, and oil and gas production measures.

Floyd has been at ARB for over 27 years developing regulations on transportation fuels, advanced clean cars, oceangoing vessels, and other mobile or stationary sources. He received his B.S. in chemical
engineering from U.C. Berkeley, his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and is licensed to practice in California as a professional engineer and lawyer.

Ben Vitale, Partner, Equilibrium

Ben Vitale is a principal at Equilibrium, focusing on Equilibrium’s water management and energy strategies. He is also a principal on Equilibrium’s Wastewater Opportunity Fund and a member of the Wastewater Opportunity Fund’s Investment Committee. Vitale has 27 years of technical and investment management experience in the wastewater, renewable energy, agriculture, forestry, technology and transportation sectors. He led portfolio development and investment decisions that established carbon assets valued over $40 million in 14 countries. These assets generated over 10 million tons of emission reductions and conserved over 2.5 million acres. Recently, he provided asset management services and financing to 15 facilities in the wastewater sector located in several regions of the United States. He is an active member of both the Bioenergy Association of California and American Biogas Council.

Vitale has worked extensively with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state government agencies, and the private sector to promote renewable energy, agriculture and sustainability policies that have driven greater investments into these sectors. Before joining Equilibrium, he served as president of The Climate Trust, Managing Director of the Conservation and Community Carbon Fund, co-founder of VCapital, and principal in Motorola Ventures. He has contributed to the books A Climate for Life, Climate Change & Forests, Voluntary Carbon Markets and Defying Ocean’s End.

Matt Vespa, Staff Attorney, Earthjustice

Based out of San Francisco, Matt Vespa focuses on accelerating deployment of clean energy in California and avoiding new investments in fossil fuel infrastructure. Matt’s areas of expertise include utility procurement, local reliability need, rooftop solar tariffs, rate design, energy storage, renewable integration, and decarbonization trajectories. Matt is a member of the Procurement Review Group (“PRG”) of Southern California Edison.

Prior to joining Earthjustice, Matt spent over five years at the Sierra Club focusing on clean energy-related advocacy before the California Public Utilities Commission. Prior to the Sierra Club, Matt was a Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity where he developed the law and policy related to the analysis of greenhouse gas impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). Matt also served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York for the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis.

Matt was the recipient of the 2016 Environmental Leadership Award from the Ecology Law Quarterly at U.C. Berkeley School of Law.

Grant Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer, ampCNG

Grant Zimmerman has been chief executive officer of ampCNG since February 2016. He joined ampCNG as senior vice president of business development in February 2015. At ampCNG, he is responsible for developing and executing ampCNG’s overall business strategy and operations, business development, and corporate development activities. Mr. Zimmerman sits on ampCNG’s board of directors. Prior to joining ampCNG, he was an associate principal in McKinsey and Company’s Chicago office, where he served clients in the energy industry in strategy, operations, and corporate finance. Before McKinsey, he served in commercial and finance roles with Enron and the Enron bankruptcy estate. Mr. Zimmerman earned his MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, graduating with high honors. He also holds an MPA and BBA, Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.

William (Bill) Zobel is Vice President of Business Development, Marketing & Customer Care for Trillium CNG. Trillium designs, builds and operates a network of compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling stations across the US. Mr. Zobel has almost 30 years of experience in the energy sector covering a wide range of issues and responsibilities. Prior to Trillium, Mr. Zobel managed the Sempra natural gas and electric vehicle clean transportation program, and managed environmental and climate change policy for Sempra Energy.

Mr. Zobel served as director of strategy and business analysis for BP North America where he helped develop BP’s national presence following the merger of BP and ARCO. In 15 years with ARCO, Mr. Zobel successfully served in a variety of management positions where he was instrumental in developing and promoting landmark regulatory programs including RECLAIM, the nation’s first multipollutant emissions trading program. Mr. Zobel serves on the board of Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVA), and the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (CNGVC), which he chaired from 2007 to 2009.

Mr. Zobel holds a BS in chemical engineering from California State University, Long Beach, and is a graduate of Columbia University’s executive business program.

Networking Reception

Sponsored by:

9:15 am - 12:00 pm

Day 2 – Rethink Methane Symposium Off-Site Tour

Van Warmerdam Dairy Digester Project

Van Warmerdam Dairy, in partnership with Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and Maas Energy Works, has installed an on-site lagoon digester. The dairy has a 20-year power purchase agreement in place to sell the power it creates, along with its Renewable Energy Certificates, to the utility. Because it combusts the gas only when demand on the grid is highest, it allows the utility to balance the grid with consistent renewable power, whether or not the sun is shining or the wind blowing. The combined heat and power engine of the digester has a capacity of 600 kw and processes the waste from ~ 1000 dairy cattle.